Actuator with a safety cover

ABSTRACT

A motorized actuator has a link that extends and retracts based on the control signal. An enclosure member substantially wraps around the link with a sensor between the link and the enclosure member. The enclosure member is suspended relative to the link so that when the enclosure member is touched by a foreign object, the sensor is activated that stops the motorized actuator from moving the first link.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to a U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/962,783 filed Jul. 31, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to an enclosure system that prevents foreign objects from interfering with movement of motorized actuator. In a particular application, the enclosure system detects when a foreign object interferes with movement of motorized mount for a flat panel monitor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Flat panel monitors such as computer monitors, LCD, plasma, slim televisions, and the like (collectively referred to as “monitor(s)”) are popular because they can be mounted onto a wall to save floor space and for their aesthetically pleasing appearance. Monitors are designed to be mounted to a wall with a mechanical support arm or a bracket, and then fixed in a desired orientation to maximize the viewing angle of the monitor. To later adjust the viewing angle of the monitor, however, a viewer needs to manually adjust the viewing angle of the monitor. In situations where the monitor is mounted in a remote location or high above the floor, such as above the fireplace mantle, it may be inconvenient for the viewer to manually adjust the viewing angle of the monitor.

Recently, motorized mounts have been used to attach a monitor to a wall. With a motorized mount, a viewer can adjust the viewing angle of the monitor with a remote control. The motorized mounts include one or more motorized scissor like actuators to move the monitor. Each motorized actuator need to be isolated to prevent foreign objects from interfering with the movement of the motorized actuator and to prevent the motorized actuator from damaging the foreign object. As such, there is a need to isolate the motorized actuators.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to an enclosure system that prevents foreign objects from interfering with movement of a motorized actuator. One or more motorized actuators may be linked together to adjust the viewing angle of a monitor. Each actuator may include a first link and a second link. The first link may be coupled to the second link such that the two links may form a scissors like action when the two links are moved relative to each other. In particular, one end of the second link may be coupled to the first link substantially along its midpoint such that the second link opens and closes relative to the first link. The first and second links may have an inverted U-shape cross-section where the width of the second link is shorter than the width of the first link. A motor may be coupled to the first link to extend or retract the first link relative to the second link.

The first and second links may be supported by a base plate. A substantial portion of the first link may be enclosed by an enclosure member. The enclosure member may have an inverted U-shape cross-section where the two legs drop near the base plate leaving a gap between the two legs and the base plate. One or more switches may be provided between the first link and the enclosure member to couple the enclosure member to the first link. The switches may be bi-directional so that when the enclosure member is pushed by a foreign object either from the top or bottom, at least one of the limit switches may close to indicate that the foreign object has interfered with the movement of the first link so that motorized action may stop and cause the first and second links to open relative to each other to prevent the foreign object from being damaged due to scissor action of the first and second links.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the invention will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

FIG. 1 shows a motorized mounting system in reference to X, Y, and Z axes.

FIG. 2 is cross-sectional side view of the mounting system along the line 2 shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional side view of the mounting system in a retracted position along the line 2 shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the link along the line 4 shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows a proximal end of a second link for one of the actuators pivotally coupled to its respective universal pivot joint.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the universal pivot joint along the line 6 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows a bracket system adapted to pivotally couple the distal ends of the three actuators along their respective locations in the mounting surface.

FIG. 8 shows a rotatable joint that may be used to pivot the distal ends of the three actuators.

FIG. 9 shows a socket having a circular cavity adapted to receive the round head to rotate therein.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the bracket system attached to the backside of a monitor.

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of the mounting system of FIG. 1 to illustrate that the rotatable joint for the middle actuator slides along an elongated slot when the mounting system tilts downward.

FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of the mounting system of FIG. 1 to illustrate that the rotatable joint for the middle actuator slides along an elongated slot when the mounting system tilts upward.

FIG. 13 shows a side view of the mounting system in a retracted position.

FIG. 14 shows a side view of the mounting system supporting a monitor in a tilted upward position.

FIG. 15 shows a side view of the mounting system supporting a monitor in a tilted downward position.

FIG. 16 shows a top view of the mounting system supporting a monitor swiveled to the right side.

FIG. 17 shows a top view of the mounting system supporting a monitor swiveled to the left side.

FIG. 18 shows disassembled perspective view of the mounting system of FIG. 1 that has been inverted.

FIG. 19 FIG. 19 shows a motorized actuator system in a partial extended position.

FIG. 20 FIG. 20 shows a cross-sectional view of the motorized actuator system in a retracted position.

FIG. 21 FIG. 21 shows a cross-sectional view of the motorized actuator system in a partially extended position.

FIG. 22 FIG. 22 shows a cross-sectional view of the motorized actuator system along the line 22 shown in FIG. 20.

FIG. 23 shows a cross-sectional view of the motorized actuator system along the line 23 shown in FIG. 20.

FIG. 24 shows a perspective view of the enclosure member enclosing the side wall.

FIG. 25 shows a perspective view of a screw cap where the elongated openings are formed on the top side of the screw cap.

FIG. 26 shows a side view of an actuator system where a first link and a second link are substantially parallel with respect to each other.

FIG. 27 shows a cross-sectional view of the motorized actuator system along the line 27 of FIG. 26.

FIG. 28 shows a perspective view of a mount system with an enclosure member removed from the left link.

FIG. 29 shows the cross-sectional view of the enclosure member along the line 28.

FIG. 30 shows a side view of the mount system of FIG. 28 without the link.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a mounting system 10 in reference to X, Y, and Z axes. The mounting system 10 includes a first actuator 12, a second actuator 14, and a third actuator 16 between a reference plane 18 and a mounting surface 20. The first and third actuators 12 and 16 may be substantially similar with respect to each other, with the second actuator 14 having a minor difference with the first and third actuators 12 and 16, as discussed in more detail below. The second actuator 14 is between the first and third actuators 12 and 16, and it is substantially inverted relative to the first and third actuators 12 and 16. The three actuators 12, 14, and 16 may be activated independently to extend, retract, swivel (side to side), and/or tilt (up and down) the mounting surface 20 relative to the reference plane 18, as explained in more detail below.

Each of the actuators may have a first link 22 and a second link 24. The second link 24 may be shorter or about one-half the length of the first link 22, and the distal end 26 of the second link 24 may be pivotally coupled to the first link 22 substantially along its midpoint. The proximal end 36 of the second link 24 is coupled to a universal joint 30 that is adapted to pivot about the Y-axis, as discussed in more detail below.

Each of the actuators may have a motor 32 that is coupled to a screw 34 to rotate the screw about its longitudinal axis. In this example, the motor 32 may be located substantially aligned with the longitudinal axes of its screw 34. In addition, the motor 32 may be located between the screw 34 and the universal pivot joint 30. The screw 34 may be supported by support brackets 42 to couple the screw to the reference plane 18.

The proximal end 36 of the first link 22 may be pivotally coupled to a sleeve 38. The sleeve 38 may be adapted to move or slide along the longitudinal axis of the screw 34 as the screw 34 is rotated by the motor 32. The sleeve 38 may have a threaded opening adapted to engage with the screw 34. As such, as the screw 34 rotates, the sleeve slides along the screw 34. The two sleeves 38 for the first and third actuators 12 and 16 may turn about the Y-axis around their respective screws. The sleeve 38 for the second actuator 14, however, may be substantially prevented from lateral or side to side movement by the hinge 50, as explained in more detail below. As the sleeve 38 slides along the screw 34, the distal end 40 of first link 22 extends or retracts relative to the reference plane 18 depending on the rotational direction of the screw 34. For instance, as the sleeve 38 for the first actuator 12 slides along the screw 34 in the positive Y-axis direction, the distal end 40 of the first actuator 12 retracts toward the reference plane 18. Conversely, as the sleeve 38 for the first actuator 12 slides along the screw 34 in the negative Y-axis direction, the distal end 40 of the first actuator 12 extends away form the reference plane 18.

Alternatively, the sleeve 38 may be motorized to move along the longitudinal axis of the screw 34 that is fixed. Note that any other apparatus or method known to one skilled in the art may be utilized to slide a sleeve along the shaft, screw, or any other line.

With the second actuator 14 inverted relative to the first and third actuators 12 and 16, the three distal ends 40 of the three actuators 12, 14, and 16 may form a triangular configuration with respect to each other. The three distal ends 40 of the three actuators 12, 14, and 16 may be adapted to rotate relative to the mounting surface 20 along the three locations 44, 46, and 48, respectively. By independently adjusting the distance between the three locations 44, 46, and 48 and the reference plane 18, the mounting surface 20 may be moved from a first position to a second position, where the second position may be extended, retracted, swiveled, and/or titled relative the reference plane 18. For instance, by extending the location 46 relative to the locations 44 and 48, the mounting surface 20 may be tilted downward or tilted counter-clockwise about the YZ-plane; or by extending the location 44 and retracting the location 48, the mounting surface 20 may swivel in the counter-clockwise direction about the XZ-plane.

In one of many applications, the reference plane 18 may be adapted to couple to a wall and the mounting surface 20 may be adapted to couple to a monitor and a variety of apparatuses. Alternatively, the mounting surface 20 may be adapted to couple to a wall and the reference plane 18 may be adapted to couple to a monitor or a variety of apparatuses. As such, the reference plane 18 may be a fixed surface and the mounting surface 20 may be a movable surface; and, alternatively, the mounting surface 20 may be a fixed surface and the reference plane 18 may be a moveable surface.

FIG. 2 is cross-sectional side view of the mounting system 10 along the line 2 shown in FIG. 1. The proximal end 28 of the link 24 may pivot about a pivot point 200 relative to the hinge 50, as described in more detail below. The proximal end 28 of the link 22 may pivot about a pivot point 202 relative to the sleeve 38, and the distal end 40 of the link 22 may pivot about a pivot point 204. The pivot point 204 may be a rotatable joint 206, where the round head 208 is within a socket 210 to allow the round head 208 to rotate within the socket 210. The round head 208 may be coupled to the distal end 40 of the first link 22. The link 24 may be pivotably coupled to the link 22 at about its midpoint 212 between the pivot points 202 and 204. In addition, the length of the link 22, as defined by the distance between the two pivot points 202 and 204, may be about twice as long as the length of link 24, as defined by the distance between the two pivot points 200 and 212. This allows the mounting surface 20 to extend from the reference plain 18 substantially along the Z-axis with nominal, if any, movement along the Y-axis.

The screw 34 may be supported by one or support mounts 42. The support mounts 42 may be adapted to allow the screw 34 to rotate along its longitudinal axis or along the Y-axis. The motor 32 may be located between the hinge 50 and the screw 34 to turn the screw 34 in either direction. A flexible coupler 214 may couple the shaft 216 of the motor 32 to one end of the screw 34 to transfer the torque from the motor 32 to the screw 34. As the motor 32 rotates the screw 34, the sleeve 38 may move along the longitudinal axis of the screw 34 to extend or retract the distal end 40 of the link 22 relative to the reference plane 18.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional side view of the mounting system 10 in a retracted position. The screw 34 and links 22 and 24 may be arranged to minimize the distance D between the reference plane 18 and the mounting surface 20. As the motor 32 turns the screw 34 to move the sleeve 38 in the positive Y-axis direction, the sleeve 38 applies force in the positive Y direction on the first link 22. The force on the link 22 causes the pivot point 204 to extend relative to the reference plane 18 substantially along the Z-axis with nominal, if any, movement along the Y-axis. In other words, if the reference plane 18 represents a wall, then the distal ends of the first link extend and retract is a substantially horizontal manner or along the XZ plane. This minimizes the torque needed from the motor 32 to extend or retract the weight of a monitor attached to the mounting surface 20 because the weight of the monitor is not lifted by the motor 32.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the link 24 along the line 4 shown in FIG. 2. The proximal end 28 of the second actuator 14 may be pivotally coupled to the hinge 50, and the distal end 26 of the link 24 may be pivotally coupled to the link 22 about the pivot point 212. The hinge 50 includes a pin 400 within a cylinder 402. In this example, the pin 400 may represent the pivot point 200. The pin 400 may be coupled to end caps 404 with the cylinder 402 between the end caps 404. The end caps 404 may be mounted to the reference plane 18. The longitudinal axis of the pin 400 may be substantially along the X-axis to allow the cylinder 402 to rotate or pivot about the X-axis. The pin 400 and the cylinder 402 may have a length X to resist the bending load applied to the cylinder. As such, with the above hinge 50 and link 24 configurations, the second actuator 14 may be substantially prevented from moving laterally in the X-axis direction so that the distal end 40 of the second actuator 14 moves substantially in a perpendicular manner relative to the reference plane 18, and the distal ends 40 of the first and third actuators 12 and 16 may extend or retract substantially along XZ plane or horizontal or a common plane.

The distal end 26 of the second link 24 may have a cut out 406 defined by two flanges 408 adapted to receive the link 22 between the two flanges 408. The pivot point 212 may be represented as a pin to pivotably couple the link 22 to the two flanges 408. The cut out 406 may have a sufficient gap to allow the link 22 to pivot within the cutout 406.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the proximal ends 28 of the second link 24 for the first and third actuators 12 and 16 pivotally coupled to their respective universal pivot joints 30. The proximal end 28 of the second link 24 may have two legs 500 adapted to receive a flange 502 therebetween. The two legs 500 and the flange 502 may be pivotably coupled to each other through a pin 504 to allow the proximal end 36 of the link 24 to pivot about the X-axis.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the universal pivot joint 30 along the line 6 in FIG. 5. The universal pivot joint 30 has a pin 600 within a cylinder 602. The pin 600 may be coupled to end caps 604 with the cylinder 602 between the end caps 604. The end caps 604 may be mounted to the reference plane 18. The longitudinal axis of the pin 600 may be substantially along the Y-axis to allow the cylinder 602 to rotate or pivot about the Y-axis. As such, as the mounting system 10 swivels the mounting surface 20 along the XZ-plane, the second links 24 for the first and third actuators 12 and 16 may pivot about their respective universal pivot joints 30 along the Y-axis.

FIG. 7 shows a bracket system 700 adapted to pivotally couple the distal ends 40 of the first, second, and third actuators 12, 14, and 16 to their respective locations 44, 46 and 48 on the mounting surface 20. The bracket system 700 includes a first bar 702 and a second bar 704 supported by a first bracket 706 and a second bracket 708. A third bracket 710 may be provided between the first and second brackets 706 and 708, and the third bracket 710 may be adapted to receive the first and second bars 702 and 704. A fourth bracket 712 may be provided between the second and third brackets 708 and 710; and a fifth bracket 714 may be provided between the first and third brackets 706 and 710. The fourth and fifth brackets 712 and 714 may be adapted to pivotally couple to the rotatable joints 206 at the locations 44 and 48 on the mounting surface 20. The third bracket 710 is adapted to pivotally couple the rotatable joint 206 at the location 46 on the mounting surface 20; and as discussed in more detail below, the rotatable joint 206 at the location 46 may slide along the Y-axis when the mounting surface 20 is being tilted.

The first and second brackets 706 and 708 may have one or more holes 716 adapted to receive one or more bolts that tighten with the provisions made in the mounting surface 20 such as threaded openings. The first and second brackets 706 and 708 may slide along the first and second bars 702 and 704 so that the bracket system 700 may be mounted to the mounted surface having the threaded openings in a variety of locations. This enables the mounting system 10 to be mounted to the mounting surface 20 so that the mounting system 10 may reposition the mounting surface 20 relative to the reference plane 18.

FIG. 8 shows a rotatable joint 206 that may be used to pivot the distal ends 40 of the first, second, and third actuators 12, 14, and 16. The rotatable joint 206 includes a socket 800 adapted to house a round head 802. The round head 802 may also have a threaded portion 804 that attaches to the distal end 40 of the first link 22. FIG. 9 shows that the socket 800 may have a circular cavity 900 that allows the round head 802 to rotate therein. The socket 800 may have threaded openings 902 adapted to receive bolts to attach the rotatable joint 206 to the third, fourth, and fifth brackets 710, 712, and 714 at their respective locations 44, 46, and 48, as discussed above. The rotatable joint 206 may be coupled to their respective brackets such that the rotatable joint 206 may pivot about the longitudinal axis of the threaded opening 902.

As an example, the mounting surface 20 may be the backside of a monitor in order to adjust the viewing angle of the monitor with the convenience of a remote control. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the bracket system 700 attached to the backside of the monitor 1000. The third bracket 710 may have an elongated slot 1002 at one end adapted to receive the rotatable joint 206 and allow the pivot joint 902 to slide along the elongated slot 1002. This allows the distal end 40 of the second actuator to slide along the elongated slot 1002 as the mounting system 10 tilts the monitor 1000 up or down. The rotatable joints 206 coupled to the fourth and fifth brackets 712 and 714 may rotate about their respective longitudinal axis of the threaded opening 902 but may not slide. As such, the distal ends of the first, second, and third actuators 12, 14, and 16 may rotate about their respective locations 44, 46, and 48, and the rotatable joint 206 for the second actuator at the location 46 may slide along the elongated slot 1002. Alternatively, the elongated slots may be provided at the fourth and fifth brackets 712 and 714 and not at the third bracket 710 so that the distal ends of the first and third brackets slide along the fourth and fifth brackets and not at the third brackets. Note that it is within the scope of this invention to utilize a variety of bracket systems know to one skilled in the art. For instance, the mounting bracket 10 may be first attached to a wall and then the monitor 1000 may be attached to the bracket system 700.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show a schematic side view of the mounting system 10 to illustrate that the rotatable joint 206 for the second actuator 14 slides along the elongated slot 1002 when the mounting system 10 tilts the mounting surface 20. FIG. 11 shows the mounting surface 20 tilted in a counter-clockwise direction from a first position 1100 to a second position 1102 along the YZ-plane by extending the second actuator 14 further relative to the first and third actuators 12 and 16. In the first position 1100, the distal end 40 of the second actuator 14 is located at a location 1104; and in the second position, the distal end 40 of the second actuator 14 is located at a location 1106, which is in the positive Z direction with nominal, if any, movement in the X and Y axes. As such, the distance between the distal end 40 of the second actuator 14 and the distal ends of the first and third actuators 12 and 16 is longer in the second position 1102 than in the first position 1100. Likewise, FIG. 12 shows that when the mounting surface 20 is tilted in a clockwise direction from the first position 1100 to a third position 1200, the distance between the distal end 40 of the second actuator 14 and the distal ends of the first and third actuators 12 and 16 is longer in the second position 1200 than in the first position 1100.

In reference to FIG. 10, to allow the distal end 40 of the second actuator 14 to vary the distance between the distal ends 40 of the first and third actuators 12 and 16, and the distal end 40 of the second actuator 14 the rotatable joint 206 for the second actuator 14 is able to slide along the elongated slot 1002 of the third bracket 710. In this regard, the weight of the monitor 1000 is substantially supported by the first and third actuators 12 and 16; and the second actuator 14 may be extended or retracted relative the first and third actuators 12 and 16 or vice versa to tilt the monitor 1000 in the YZ plane.

FIG. 13 shows a side view of the mounting system 10 in a retracted position. To couple the mounting system 10 to wooden studs 1300 within a wall, a wall bracket 1302 may be provided between the reference plane 18 and the wall where the mounting system 10 may be mounted. The wall bracket 1302 may be adapted to mount to the wooden studs 1300 within the wall. The wall bracket 1302 may have a plurality of holes so that at least a portion of the holes align with the wooden studs 1300, which are about 16 inches apart center to center, so that screws may be used to mount the wall bracket 1302 to the wall. Once the wall bracket 1302 is mounted to the wall, a base plate 1304, representing the reference plane 18, having one or more hooks 1306 may be placed over the wall bracket 1302 to attach the base plate 1304 to the wall bracket 1302.

FIG. 14 shows a side view of the mounting system 10 where the monitor 1000 is in a tilt upward position or in a clockwise direction along the YZ plane by extending the first and third actuators 12 and 16 further away from the base plate 1304 relative to the second actuator 14 along the Z-axis. Conversely, FIG. 15 shows the mounting system 10 where the monitor 1000 is in a tilt downward position or counter-clockwise direction along the YZ plane by extending the second actuator 14 from the base plate 1304 further along the Z-axis relative to the first and third actuators 12 and 16. Note that in FIGS. 14 and 15, the rotatable joint 206 is located at the upper part of the elongated slot 1002 indicating that the distance between the distal end 40 of the second actuator 14 is further away from the distal ends 40 of the first and third actuators 12 and 16 compared to when the monitor 1000 is substantially parallel with the base plate 1304.

Once the viewing angle of the monitor 1000 is fixed, the weight of the monitor 1000 coupled to the mounting system 10 is substantially carried by the three actuators 12, 14, and 16 as compression or tension load. As beams are better able to carry compression and tension loads versus bending loads, the mounting system 100 is able to carry more weight. For instance, referring back to FIG. 15, the center of gravity of the monitor 1000 attached to the mounting system 10 may be at a location 1500. The combined weight “W” of the monitor 1000 and the mounting system 10 is transferred to three actuators 12, 14, and 16. In this example, the first links 22 for the three actuators 12, 14, and 16 will be generally under tension load. That is, with the first links 22 having rotatable distal ends, there are minimal, if any, bending and/or torque loads on the first links. This allows the mounting system 10 to move the monitor 1000 further away from the first mounting surface 102 along the Z-axis without overstressing the first links 22.

FIG. 16 shows a top view of the mounting system 10 where the monitor 1000 is swiveled to the right side or in a counter-clockwise direction along the XZ plane by extending the first actuator 12 further from the base plate 1304 than the third actuator 16 along the Z-axis. FIG. 16 also shows the back plate 1302 mounted to the two wooden studs 1300, and the base plate 1304 hooked onto the back plate 1302. Conversely, FIG. 17 shows the mounting system 10 where the monitor 1000 in swiveled to the left side or in a clockwise direction along the XZ plane by retracting the first actuator 12 closer to the base plate 1304 relative to the third actuator 16. In addition, the second actuator 14 may be extended or retracted relative to the base plate 1304, as discussed in references to FIGS. 14 and 15, to tilt the monitor downward or upwards, respectively, along with the swivel movements.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the direction of the gravitational force may be in the negative Y-direction. The mounting system 10, however, may also operate with the direction of the gravitational force in the positive Y-direction. In this regard, FIG. 18 shows a disassembled perspective view of the mounting system 10 where the three actuators 12, 14, and 16 are inverted relative to the three corresponding actuators shown in FIG. 1 in reference to the X, Y, and Z axes. As such, in FIG. 1, the first link 22 of the second actuator 14 forms a positive slope from its proximal end to the distal end, whereas in FIG. 18, the first link 22 of the second actuator 14 forms a negative slope from its proximal end to the distal end. Again, the three actuators 12, 14, and 16 are substantially similar, except that the second link 24 for the second actuator 14 may be different from the second link for the first and third actuators 12 and 16, as discussed above in reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 18 shows the first actuator 12 with the first link 22 adapted to pivotally couple to the second link 24 about its midpoint 212. The distal end 40 of the first link 22 is adapted to couple to the round head 208 which is adapted to rotate within the socket 210. The proximal end 28 of the first link 22 is adapted to pivotally couple to the sleeve 38. The proximal end 36 of the second link 24 may be pivotally coupled to the universal pivot joint 30. The sleeve 38 may have a threaded opening to receive the screw 34 so that the sleeve may move along the longitudinal axis of the screw 34. The screw 34 is supported by two support brackets 42 which attach to the base plate 1304. Within each of the support brackets 42 may be a bearing 1800 to smoothly rotate the screw 34. The coupler 214 may couple one end of the screw 34 to the shaft of the motor 32, which is attached to the base plate 1302 through a motor bracket 1802. A limit switch 1808 may be provided on the opposite end of the screw 34 to detect if the sleeve 38 has reached its limitation.

FIG. 18 shows the wall bracket 1302 with a plurality of holes adapted to receive screws that insert into wooden studs or a concrete wall. The base plate 1304 has one or more hooks 1306 that fit over the wall bracket 1302 to attach the mounting system 10 to a wall for example. The bracket system 700 is adapted to pivotally couple to the distal ends of the three actuators 12, 14, and 16, as discussed above in reference to FIG. 7. The first and second brackets 706 and 708 are adapted to slide along the first and second bars 702 and 704 and they have plurality of holes 1806 to attach to the back side of a monitor. A control box 1810 may be provided on the base plate 1304 to control the operation of the three actuators 12, 14, and 16 to swivel and/or tilt the monitor, as discussed in more detail below.

A bellows 1812 may be provided between the base plate 1304 and bracket system 700 to substantially enclose the three actuators 12, 14, and 16 to substantially prevent foreign objects from interfering with the movement of the three actuators. The proximal end 1814 of the bellows 1812 may be attached to the base plate 1304. The distal end 1816 of the bellows 1812 may be coupled to the first and second bars 702 and 704 so that the distal end 1816 of the bellows 1812 may be slide side to side along the longitudinal axis of the first and second bars. In addition, the distal end 1816 of the bellows may slide up and down to allow the bellows to fold uniformly when the mounting system 10 swivels and/or tilts a monitor. Audio and video wires may be passed through the bellows so that wires do not show between the base plate 1304 and the bracket system 700.

FIG. 19 shows a motorized actuator system 1900 in a partial extended position adapted to detect whether a foreign object is interfering with its movement, and if so, stop its movement and open the first link 1902 relative to the second link 1904. The proximal end 1906 of the first link 1902 may pivot about a pivot point 1908 relative to a sleeve (not shown in FIG. 19) within a screw cap 1910. The screw cap 1910 may have an elongated opening 1914 on its side along the longitudinal axis of the screw (not shown in FIG. 19) to allow the pivot point 1908 to travel along the longitudinal axis of the screw. The distal end 1909 of the first link 1902 may be coupled to the rotatable joint 206. The second link 1904 may be pivotably coupled to the first link 1902 at about its midpoint 912 between the pivot points 1908 and 206. The proximal end 1916 of the second link 1904 may pivot about a pivot point 1918, which is aligned with the longitudinal axis which the pivot point 1908 travels along. The length of the first link 1902, as defined by the distance between the two pivot points 1908 and 206, may be about twice as long as the length of second link 1904, as defined by the distance between the two pivot points 200 and 912.

The motorized actuator system 1900 also includes an enclosure member 1902 that substantially encloses the first link 1902. The enclosure member 1920 may have an inverted U-shape where its two legs 1922 and 1924 extend down towards the base plate 1926 forming a gap 1928 between the legs and the base plate. One or more switches 1930 may be provided between the enclosure member 1920 and the first link 1902 to couple the enclosure member to the first link. The motorized actuator system 1900 may also include a side wall 1932 that wraps around the motor 32 and the second link 1904. The side wall 1932 may be located between the second link 1904 and the enclosure member 1902.

FIG. 20 shows a cross-sectional view of the motorized actuator system 1900 in a retracted position. The second link 1904 is sandwiched within the first link 1902, the side wall wrap around the second link 1904, and the enclosure member 1920 enclose substantial portion of the first link 1902 to minimize the depth D of the motorized actuator system 1900. One or more switches 1930 may be provided between the enclosure member 1920 and the first link 1902. The switches 1930 may be bidirectional so that if a foreign object 2004 is placed between the monitor 2000 and the enclosure member 1920 as the motorized actuator system 1900 retracts, the foreign object may interfere with the movement of the actuator system 1900 and assert a force, as indicated by the direction arrow 2002 onto the enclosure member 1920, thereby causing at least one of the switch 1930 to close its contact to indicate that the foreign object 2004 has interfered with the movement of the motorized actuator system 1900.

FIG. 21 shows a cross-sectional view of the motorized actuator system 1900 in a partially extended position. With the bi-directional switches 1930, if a foreign object 2100 is placed between the two links 1902 and 1904, and as the actuator 1900 retracts from the extending position, the foreign object 2100 will contact the leg 1922 of the enclosure member 1920 first, which will assert a force, as indicated by the direction arrow 2102, onto the enclosure member 1920, thereby causing at least one of the switch 1930 to close its contact to indicate that the foreign object 2100 has interfered with the movement of the motorized actuator system 1900.

The distal portion 2108 of the first link 1902 may have an rounded edge 2110 so that in a situation where the switches 1930 and/or the enclosure member 1920 fails to operate properly, the rounded edge 2110 may push the foreign object 2100 away from the first and second links 1902 and 1904 as the two links closes.

Alternatively, if a foreign object 2104 is placed between the second link 1904 and the side wall 1932 or between the enclosure member 1920 and the side wall 1932, and as the actuator 1900 retracts from the extending position, the foreign object 2104 will contact the leg 1922 of the enclosure member 1920, which will assert a force, as indicated by the direction arrow 2106, onto the enclosure member 1920, thereby causing at least one of the switch 1930 to close its contact to indicate that the foreign object 2104 has interfered with the movement of the motorized actuator system 1900. As such, the side wall 1932 positions the foreign objects so that the foreign objects contact the enclosure member 1920 first before the actuator 1900 reaches the fully retracted position, as illustrated in FIG. 20, to prevent the actuator 1900 from damaging the foreign object.

FIG. 22 shows a cross-sectional view of the motorized actuator system 1900 along the line 22 shown in FIG. 20. FIG. 22 shows a protruding portion 2200 of the screw 34. The flexible coupler 214 may be provided to couple the shaft of the motor 32 to the protruding portion 2200 of the screw 34 to transfer the torque from the motor 32 to the screw 34. The side wall 1932 may be configured to at least partially cover the motor 32 and extend upwards from the base plate 1926. The second link 1904 may be sized to fit within the first link 1902 and coupled together along the midpoint 1912 of the first link 1902. The two links may be an inverted U-shape cross-section. The width of the second link 1904 may be wider than the diameter of the motor 32 or the width of its enclosure.

The first link 1902 may have one or more switches 1930. Each switch 1930 may have a protruding portion 2202 may extend from the first link 1902 and couple to the enclosure member 1920. As illustrated in FIG. 22, the second link 1904 may wrap over the motor 32; the first link 1902 may wrap over the second link 1904; the side wall 1932 may wrap around the second link 1904; and the two legs 1922 of the enclosure member 1920 may wrap over the side wall 1932. This arrangement allows each of the components to sandwich together to minimize the depth of the actuator system 1900. To allow the enclosure member 1920 to be pushed down, a gap “g1” may be formed between the two legs 1922 and the base plate 1926, and a gap “g2” may be formed between the side wall 1932 and the top side 2204 of the enclosure member 1920. Moreover, when a foreign object is placed between the two legs 1922 and the base plate 1926, the enclosure member 1920 may be lifted to close the contact in the switch 1930.

FIG. 23 shows a cross-sectional view of the motorized actuator system 1900 along the line 23 shown in FIG. 20. The screw 34 may be adapted to rotate within a sleeve 2300, which causes the sleeve 2300 to slide along the longitudinal axis of the screw 34. The sleeve 2300 may have a pair of arms 2302 and 2304. The screw cap 1910 may substantially enclose the screw 34 and the sleeve 2300 with the elongated slot openings 1914 on both sides. The proximal end 1906 of the first link 1902 may be adapted to pivotably couple to the pair of arms 2302 and 2304 along the pivot point 1908. For example, bolts 2306 may be used to pivotably couple the proximal end 1906 of the first link 1902 to the pair of arms 2302 and 2304. The enclosure member 1920 may substantially enclose the first link 1902, and at least one switch 1930 may be provided between the enclosure member 1920 and the first link 1902 to detect whether a foreign object is interfering with the movement of the actuator system 1900. Note that the pivot point 1908 is closer to the base plate 1926 than the pivot point 202 as shown in FIG. 2. This allows the distance along the Z axis between the pivot point 1908 and the rotatable joint 206 to be greater so that the first link 1902 is at a greater angle o relative to the base plate (see FIG. 20) in the retracted position. With the greater angle, less torque is required by the motor to extend the monitor from the retracted position.

FIG. 23 shows a perspective view of the enclosure member 1920 enclosing the side wall 1932. The side wall 1932 may have a U-shape configuration sized to wrap around the second link 1904 and the motor. The height of the side wall may vary depending on the design parameters of the first and second links.

FIG. 25 shows a perspective view of a screw cap 2500 where the elongated openings 2502 are formed on the top side of the screw cap 2500. The proximal end 1906 of the first link 1902 may be inserted into the openings 2502 to slide along the longitudinal axis of the screw.

FIG. 26 shows a side view of an actuator system 2600 where a first link 2602 and a second link 2604 are substantially parallel with respect to each other. This allows the two links to be elongated without increasing the depth “D” of the actuator system 2600. The actuator system 2600 has a first enclosure member 2606 substantially enclosing the first link 2602; and a second enclosure member 2608 between the second link 2604 and the motor and substantially enclosing the second link 2604. The second enclosure member is coupled to a switch 2610 and it may pivot about the midpoint 2612 of the first link 2602. With the second enclosure member 2608, if a foreign object 2614 is placed between the second enclosure member 2608 and the motor 32, and as the motorized actuator system 2600 retracts, the foreign object 2614 may interfere with the movement of the actuator system 2600 and assert a force, as indicated by the direction arrow 2616 onto the second enclosure member 2608, thereby causing the switch 2610 to close its contact to indicate that the foreign object 2614 has interfered with the movement of the motorized actuator system 2600. FIG. 27 shows a cross-sectional view of the motorized actuator system 2600 along the line 27 of FIG. 26.

FIG. 28 shows a perspective view of a mount system 2800 with an enclosure member removed from a first actuator 2802 and enclosure members showing in a second actuator 2804 and a third actuator 2806 reference to X, Y, and Z axes. Each of the actuators may have a first link 2822 and a second link 2824. The second link 2824 may be shorter or about one-half the length of the first link 2822, and the distal end 2826 of the second link 24 may be pivotally coupled to the first link 2822 substantially along its midpoint. The proximal end 2836 of the second link 2824 may be coupled to a pivot axis 2808 that is adapted to pivot about the X-axis.

Each of the actuators may have a motor 2832 that is coupled to a screw 2834 to rotate the screw about its longitudinal axis. In this example, the motor 2832 may be located substantially aligned with the longitudinal axes of its screw 2834. In addition, the motor 2832 may be located between the screw 2834 and the pivot axis 2808. The screw 2834 may be supported by support brackets 2842 to couple the screw to the reference plane 2818.

The proximal end 2836 of the first link 2822 may be pivotally coupled to a sleeve 2838. The sleeve 2338 may be adapted to move or slide along the longitudinal axis of the screw 2834 as the screw 2834 is rotated by the motor 2832. The sleeve 2838 may have a threaded opening adapted to engage with the screw 2834. As such, as the screw 2834 rotates, the sleeve slides along the screw 2834. As the sleeve 2838 slides along the screw 2834, the distal end 2840 of first link 2822 extends or retracts relative to the reference plane 2818 depending on the rotational direction of the screw 2834. For instance, as the sleeve 2838 for the first actuator 2812 slides along the screw 2834 in the positive Y-axis direction, the distal end 2840 of the first actuator 2812 retracts toward the reference plane 2818. Conversely, as the sleeve 2838 for the first actuator 2812 slides along the screw 2834 in the negative Y-axis direction, the distal end 2840 of the first actuator 2812 extends away form the reference plane 2818.

Each of the actuators may have an enclosure member 2850 that may be suspended relative to their respective first links. The enclosure member 2850 may have one or more cavities 2850. The enclosure member 2850 may drape down below the first link. FIG. 29 shows the cross-sectional view of the enclosure member 2850 along the line 28. The cavity 2852 may be adapted to receive a first spring 2854. The cavity 2852 may have a base 2859. A first pin 2856 may extend from the first link 2822 with a head 2858, and the first spring may be provided between the head 2858 and the base 2859. A second pin 2860 may extend from the enclosure member 2850, and the second pin may be adapted to receive a second spring 2862 extending between the enclosure member 2850 and the first link 2822. The first spring 2854 pulls the enclosure member 2850 towards the first link 2822, and the second spring 2860 pushes the enclosure member 2850 away from the first link 2822. The length of the first pin 2856 may be adjusted by rotating the head 2858, thereby adjusting the tension of the first spring 2854 such that the two springs counteract with each other to suspend the enclosure member 2850 relative to the first link.

The first link 2822 may also have a sensor 2864 that sends a signal 2865 (shown in dotted lines) between a transmitter portion 2866 and a receiver portion 2868. The enclosure member 2850 may also have a tab 2870 with an opening 2872. The opening 2872 may be positioned between the two portions 2866 and 2868 such that the opening allows the signal 2865 to pass there through under a normal condition but if the enclosure member 2850 is pushed either from the top 2874 or the bottom 2876 of the enclosure member 2850, the tab 2870 interrupts the signal 2865 from transmitting between the two portions 2866 and 2868, which indicates that a foreign object has touch or pushed on the enclosure member 2850. Such an interruption signal may be sent to a controller to stop the movement of the actuators.

FIG. 30 shows a side view of the mount system of FIG. 28 without the first link 2822 showing the first and second springs located near opposite ends of the first link 2822.

While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of this invention. For instance, in reference to FIG. 1, additional actuators may be added to the base based plate 1304 to support heavier monitors if necessary. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. 

1. A mounting system comprising: a base plate; a motorized actuator having a link, the link adapted to extend and retract relative to the base plate; an enclosure member adapted to enclose at least a portion of the link, the enclosure member suspended relative to the link; a sensor between the enclosure member and the link such that when the enclosure member is touched, the sensor is activated to indicate that the enclosure member has been touched; and a controller communicably linked to the sensor and the motorized actuator such that when the sensor indicates that the enclosure member has been touched, the controller sends a stop signal to the motorized actuator to stop the movement of the link. 